U.S. patent number 11,023,668 [Application Number 15/340,321] was granted by the patent office on 2021-06-01 for enriched compound data objects.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC. Invention is credited to John Campbell, Christian Canton, Carlos Augusto Otero, Benjamin Edward Rampson.
United States Patent |
11,023,668 |
Campbell , et al. |
June 1, 2021 |
Enriched compound data objects
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to enriching a compound object
with data provided by a third party service, database, or local
database. In some embodiments, this is performed by receiving an
entry of a value in a cell of a spreadsheet; determining whether
the value is related to information provided by a service; based on
a determination that the value is related to information provided
by the service, selecting the service; displaying a field selection
user interface; receiving a selection of one or more fields from
the field selection user interface; receiving one or more values
associated with the selected one or more fields; and enriching a
compound object based on the selected one or more fields and
associated one or more values.
Inventors: |
Campbell; John (Woodinville,
WA), Rampson; Benjamin Edward (Woodinville, WA), Canton;
Christian (Bellevue, WA), Otero; Carlos Augusto
(Seattle, WA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC |
Redmond |
WA |
US |
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Assignee: |
Microsoft Technology Licensing,
LLC (Redmond, WA)
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Family
ID: |
1000005590465 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/340,321 |
Filed: |
November 1, 2016 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20170124052 A1 |
May 4, 2017 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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62357327 |
Jun 30, 2016 |
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62249869 |
Nov 2, 2015 |
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62357284 |
Jun 30, 2016 |
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62249884 |
Nov 2, 2015 |
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62357292 |
Jun 30, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
3/0482 (20130101); G06N 20/00 (20190101); G06F
40/18 (20200101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
40/18 (20200101); G06N 20/00 (20190101); G06F
3/0482 (20130101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1348135 |
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May 2002 |
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CN |
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157744 |
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Aug 2001 |
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WO |
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2015065864 |
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May 2015 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Tapp; Amelia L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: NovoTechIP International PLLC
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 62/357,327, filed Jun. 30, 2016 and entitled
"Enriched Compound Data Objects;" U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
No. 62/249,869, filed Nov. 2, 2015 and entitled "Rich Data Types;"
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/357,284, filed Jun. 30,
2016 and entitled "Rich Data Types;" U.S. Provisional Application
Ser. No. 62/249,884, filed Nov. 2, 2015 and entitled "Compound Data
Objects;" and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/357,292,
filed Jun. 30, 2016 and entitled "Compound Data Objects," the
disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system comprising: at least one processing unit; and at least
one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when
executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the system to
perform operations of: receiving a first value in a single
spreadsheet cell of a spreadsheet; receiving, from a service, a
corresponding value for each attribute from a plurality of
attributes associated with the first value in the single
spreadsheet cell; creating a compound object with a data structure
comprising individually referenceable attribute-value pairs that
each includes one of the plurality of attributes and the
corresponding value for each attribute; storing the compound object
in the single spreadsheet cell; and providing, for display in the
single spreadsheet cell, the first value and at least one of
corresponding values.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the service is a third party
service or a local service.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores the computer
executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one
processing unit, further cause the system to perform the operations
of: determining whether the first value is related to information
accessible from the service based on at least one of: analyzing
data stored in the spreadsheet, analyzing header values, or
implementing machine learning techniques.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores the computer
executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one
processing unit, further cause the system to perform an operation
of determining whether the first value is related to information
accessible from the service based on receiving a request to search
for the service.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of attributes
comprise the attributes of an entity corresponding to the first
value.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores the computer
executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one
processing unit, further cause the system to perform an operation
of updating the compound object based on at least one of a user
request or an automatic setting.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein for creating the compound object,
the memory stores the computer executable instructions that, when
executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the
system to perform an operation of augmenting an existing compound
object based on the corresponding value for each attribute from the
plurality of attributes.
8. A method for providing enriched data in spreadsheets of a
spreadsheet application, the method comprising: receiving a first
value in a single spreadsheet cell of a spreadsheet; receiving,
from a service, a corresponding value for each attribute from a
plurality of attributes associated with the first value in the
single spreadsheet cell; creating a compound object with a data
structure comprising individually referenceable attribute-value
pairs that each includes one of the plurality of attributes and the
corresponding value for each attribute; storing the compound object
in the single spreadsheet cell; and providing, for display in the
single spreadsheet cell, the first value and at least one of
corresponding values.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the service is a third party
service or a local service.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining whether
the first value is related to information accessible from the
service based on at least one of: analyzing data stored in the
spreadsheet, analyzing header values, or implementing machine
learning techniques.
11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether
the first value is related to information accessible from the
service based on receiving a request to search for the service.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of attributes
comprise the attributes of an entity corresponding to the first
value.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising updating the compound
object based on at least one of a user request or an automatic
setting.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the compound object is a new
compound object.
15. The method of claim 8, wherein creating the compound object
further comprises augmenting an existing compound object based on
the corresponding value for each attribute from the plurality of
attributes.
16. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable
instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit,
cause a computing device to perform operations of: receiving a
first value in a single spreadsheet cell; receiving, from a
service, a corresponding value for each attribute from a plurality
of attributes associated with the first value in the single
spreadsheet cell; creating a compound object with a data structure
comprising individually referenceable attribute-value pairs that
each includes one of the plurality of attributes and the
corresponding value for each attribute; storing the compound object
in the single spreadsheet cell; and providing, for display in the
single spreadsheet cell, the first value and at least one of
corresponding values.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein for
creating the compound object, further storing the computer
executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one
processing unit, cause the computing device to further perform an
operation of augmenting an existing compound object based on the
corresponding value for each attribute from the plurality of
attributes.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the
corresponding value for a first attribute from the plurality of
attributes comprises textual information and the corresponding
value of a second attribute from the plurality of attributes
comprises an image.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the
plurality of attributes comprise the attributes of an entity
corresponding to the first value.
Description
BACKGROUND
Spreadsheet applications are used to organize and store data. Data
is typically stored in a plurality of cells, wherein each cell
holds a single value (e.g., a string, number, or error). Data is
typically organized within columns and rows, such that related
values are stored within the same row or column of the spreadsheet.
In some embodiments, columns or rows may each include a header cell
that stores a heading or description of the values stored within
that row or column. Because only a single value is stored in a
single cell, spreadsheets can become extensive and cumbersome,
especially if one or more related values are stored in adjacent or
nearby cells. This type of organization oftentimes leads to large,
complex spreadsheets, which may be difficult to consume and
comprehend. Still further, imported data may also be stored in
multiple cells, across several rows or columns. For example, data
copied from an application or website may be pasted into the
spreadsheet, however such pasting is typically done haphazardly,
wherein data is organized in cells at random. Accordingly, such
data oftentimes must be manually moved to one or more appropriate
cells, formatted, or deleted altogether.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that
embodiments have been described. Although relatively specific
problems have been discussed, it is understood that the embodiments
should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified
in the background.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for
enriching compound objects with data imported from one or more
third party services, databases, and local databases.
In a first aspect, a system comprising: at least one processing
unit; and at least one memory storing computer executable
instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing
unit, cause the system to perform a method is disclosed. The method
comprising: receiving an entry of a value in a cell of a
spreadsheet; determining whether the value is related to
information provided by a service; based on a determination that
the value is related to information provided by the service,
selecting the service; displaying a field selection user interface;
receiving a selection of one or more fields from the field
selection user interface; receiving one or more values associated
with the selected one or more fields; and enriching a compound
object based on the selected one or more fields and associated one
or more values.
In a second aspect, a method for providing enriched data in a
spreadsheet of a spreadsheet application is disclosed. The method
comprising: receiving an entry of a value in a cell of the
spreadsheet; determining whether the value is related to
information provided by a service; based on a determination that
the value is related to information provided by the service,
selecting the service; displaying a field selection user interface;
receiving a selection of one or more fields from the field
selection user interface; receiving one or more values associated
with the selected one or more fields; and enriching a compound
object based on the selected one or more fields and associated one
or more values.
In a third aspect, disclosed is a computer-readable storage medium
storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at
least one processing unit, cause a computing device to: receive an
entry of a value in a cell; determine whether the initial value is
related to information provided by a service; based on a
determination that the value is related to information provided by
the service: display a field selection user interface; receive a
selection of one or more fields from the field selection user
interface; and enrich a compound object based on the selected one
or more fields and associated one or more values.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a
simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed
Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features
or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it
intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with
reference to the following Figures.
FIG. 1 illustrates a system for implementing compound data types in
a spreadsheet application.
FIG. 2 illustrates compound objects stored in a spreadsheet.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example field selection user interface in
which attributes and values can be selected to be stored in a
compound object.
FIG. 4 illustrates a spreadsheet storing, in a compound object,
information provided by a third party.
FIG. 5 illustrates a method for importing information from a third
party or local database and storing that information as a compound
object in a spreadsheet.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating physical components of a
computing device with which aspects of the disclosure may be
practiced.
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B illustrate a mobile computing device, for
example, a mobile telephone, a smart phone, wearable computer, a
tablet computer, a laptop computer, and the like, with which
embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced.
FIG. 8 illustrates one aspect of the architecture of a system for
processing data received at a computing system from a remote
source, such as a general computing device, tablet computing
device, or mobile computing device.
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary tablet computing device that may
execute one or more aspects disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to
the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts
and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various
embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto.
Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not
intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many
possible embodiments for the appended claims.
A compound object is an example data value described in U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/249,884, entitled "Compound
Data Objects," and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.
62/357,292, entitled "Compound Data Objects," the disclosures of
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. A
compound object is a value that stores multiple values in a single
cell, wherein those multiple values are organized according to a
defined structure. The compound object may store multiple values
according to a known data structure such as, for example, records,
vectors, matrices, tables, and arrays. In other embodiments, the
compound object may store multiple values as another data
structure, such as, for example, a user-defined data structure. In
other embodiments, the compound object may store multiple values as
any nested combination of any one of the known data structures
(e.g., nesting an array within a vector, or nesting one or more
records within a record, or nesting matrices within a table, etc.).
The multiple values stored in the compound object are also
individually referenceable and can fully participate with
spreadsheet functionality including calculations, referencing, and
formatting. Compound objects typically store related values. For
example, compound objects can store details about a person (e.g.,
first name, last name, birthdate, address, social security number,
etc.), a company (e.g., name, address, phone number, officer names,
etc.), a stock (e.g., stock ticker symbol, closing price, average
price, volume, dividends, etc.), a product (e.g., product name,
price, specifications, description, options, store locations,
etc.), a car (e.g., make, model, year, price, colors, image of car,
etc.), etc. Although only a few examples are provided, the present
disclosure is not intended to be limited to these specific
examples. It is understood that compound objects can store
virtually any type of information in an efficient and compact
manner. Accordingly, compound objects may be used to more
efficiently, more logically, more compactly, and more simply store
information because multiple values can be stored in a single cell
rather than spread across numerous rows and columns of a
spreadsheet. The novel aspects of a compound object can therefore
reduce the size and complexity of a spreadsheet.
Aspects of the present disclosure further provide the ability to
import data from third party sources (e.g., company public or
private websites, search engines, etc.) or from internal sources
(e.g., databases accessible on an internal network such as the
Intranet) and store such imported data in a compound object. An
example internal source is a file share, SharePoint, SQL databases,
or Analysis Services style (OLAP) data sources. Aspects of the
present disclosure are further directed to efficiently and easily
importing such data from third party or internal sources. In an
example, data from third party sources may be obtained using APIs
(REST, SOAP, etc.) to public facing websites or services like
Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other site having data. Furthermore,
search engines such as, for example, Bing or Google may have APIs
that allow users to obtain structured data.
FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for implementing compound data
types in a spreadsheet application, according to an example
embodiment.
As illustrated, system 100 may include one or more client computing
devices 102 (e.g., client computing devices 102A and 102B) that may
execute a client version of a spreadsheet application capable of
storing multiple attributes and values as a compound object in a
single cell of a spreadsheet. In some examples, the client
spreadsheet application may execute locally on a client computing
device 102. In other examples, a client spreadsheet application
(e.g., a mobile app on a thin client computing device 102) may
operate with a corresponding server version of spreadsheet
application executing on one or more server computing devices. In
such embodiments, the client computing device 102 may communicate
with the corresponding server version of the spreadsheet
application over a network (e.g., network 106). In still other
aspects, rather than executing a client version of a spreadsheet
application, the one or more client computing devices 102 may
remotely access, e.g., via a browser over a network (e.g., network
106), the spreadsheet application implemented on a server computing
device or multiple server computing devices (e.g., in a distributed
computing environment such as a cloud computing environment).
In a basic configuration, the one or more client computing devices
102 are personal or handheld computers having both input elements
and output elements operated by one or more users. For example, the
one or more client computing devices 102 may include one or more
of: a mobile telephone; a smart phone; a tablet; a phablet; a smart
watch; a wearable computer; a personal computer; a desktop
computer; a laptop computer; a gaming device/computer (e.g.,
Xbox.RTM.); a television; and the like. This list is exemplary only
and should not be considered as limiting. Any suitable client
computing device for executing a client spreadsheet application
and/or remotely accessing spreadsheet application may be
utilized.
In some aspects, network 106 is a computer network such as an
enterprise intranet and/or the Internet. In this regard, the
network 106 may include a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area
Network (WAN), the Internet, wireless and wired transmission
mediums. In further aspects, server computing devices as described
herein may communicate with some components of the system via a
local network (e.g., an enterprise intranet), whereas such server
computing devices may communicate with other components of the
system via a wide area network (e.g., the Internet). In addition,
the aspects and functionalities described herein may operate over
distributed systems (e.g., cloud computing systems), where
application functionality, memory, data storage and retrieval, and
various processing functions may be operated remotely from each
other over a distributed computing network, such as the Internet or
an intranet.
As described above, the spreadsheet application may be configured
to store, in a single cell of a spreadsheet, a compound object
having multiple attributes and associated values. As should be
appreciated, while examples and descriptions provided below may
generally reference storing, in a single cell of a spreadsheet, a
compound object having multiple values, the methods and systems
described may similarly be applied to multiple compound objects
stored in multiple cells. In cases where application of the methods
or systems may differ, additional disclosure will be provided.
As should be appreciated, a compound object may include values
comprising one or more of: character strings, numbers, images,
graphs, charts, and the like. In other embodiments, a compound
object may include values such as audio files and video files. In
aspects, a compound object may reference values in a structured
format (e.g., attribute-value pairs). In aspects, when a compound
object is stored in a cell, an image (e.g., an image of a car)
stored in the compound object may be displayed in the cell
alongside one or more additional values stored in the compound
object.
As further illustrated, the client computing device 102 may be
connected to one or more local databases (e.g., local database 104A
and 104B) storing information that can be imported by the client
computing device 102. The local database 104 may be a local
database accessible over, for example, a local area network (e.g.,
network 106). The local database 104 may be maintained and operated
by a local party affiliated with the client computing device 102
and can store information that can be imported by the spreadsheet
application. The databases could also be located on the same device
102 as the spreadsheet, such as, for example, a database locally
stored on a user's desktop.
As further illustrated, the client computing device 102 may be
connected to one or more third party databases (e.g., database 108A
and 108B) storing information that can be imported by the client
computing device 102. The third party database 108 may be
accessible over, for example, a Wide Area Network such as the
Internet (e.g., network 106). The third party database 108 may be
maintained and operated by any third party company or organization
and may store information that can be imported by the spreadsheet
application.
In some embodiments, the local database 104 or the third party
database 108 may provide a field selection user interface, as will
be described in further detail herein. In some embodiments, the
field selection user interface enables the selection of one or more
attributes and associated values that are stored in the respective
database and may be imported into the spreadsheet application and
stored in a compound object therein. Yet in other embodiments, the
selection user interface is provided by the spreadsheet
application.
As should be appreciated, the various devices, components, etc.,
described with respect to FIG. 1 are not intended to limit the
systems and methods to the particular components described.
Accordingly, additional topology configurations may be used to
practice the methods and systems herein and/or some components
described may be excluded without departing from the methods and
systems disclosed herein.
FIG. 2 illustrates compound objects stored in a spreadsheet.
As illustrated, an interface 200 of a spreadsheet application is
provided. Interface 200 includes a spreadsheet having a plurality
of cells 202, a navigation ribbon 204 (including a cell identifier
206 and a formula bar 208), and a toolbar 210. In some embodiments,
the toolbar 210 is part of the navigation ribbon 204. Interface 200
further includes a plurality of tabs 212 for accessing various
aspects and operations of the spreadsheet application.
A compound object, as defined herein is a data type that stores
multiple values in a single cell, wherein those multiple values are
organized according to a defined structure. The compound object may
store multiple values according to a known data structure such as,
for example, records, vectors, matrices, tables, and arrays. In
other embodiments, the compound object may store multiple values as
another data structure, such as, for example, a user-defined data
structure. In other embodiments, the compound object may store
multiple values as any nested combination of any one of the known
data structures (e.g., nesting an array within a vector, or nesting
one or more records within a record, or nesting matrices within a
table, etc.). The multiple values stored in the compound object are
also individually referenceable and can fully participate with
spreadsheet functionality including calculations, referencing, and
formatting. A compound object type is a user defined compound
object that has a definition expressed by a schema. The schema
identifies the structured organization of the data (e.g., record,
matrix, table, vector, array, or other data structure) and any
properties of the compound object. As will be described herein, for
compound objects that are enriched by local or third party
databases, that compound object may follow a different pattern. One
example might be a field documenting the connection, a field
documenting the query, and a third detailing the list of attributes
to convey. Accordingly, as will be described in detail herein, the
present spreadsheet application discloses that a cell can store
more information, which represents the object.
Because compound objects can store multiple values, and even nested
values, in a single cell, not all values can always be fully
displayed from the cell view of the cell in which the compound
object is stored. Accordingly, based on the number of values stored
in the compound object, the size of the card view, or any display
preferences, a full or partial view of the compound object may be
displayed in the cell view. Accordingly, based on a selection of
the compound object, for example, a card view of the compound
object can be displayed. The card view may display, for example, a
header indicating the type of the compound object and the cell in
which the compound object is stored, each value stored in the
compound object, and each associated attribute. In some
embodiments, the card view displays the compound object as a table
organized in attribute-value pairs, wherein each value and
associated attribute is stored as a row of the table.
Illustrated is a first compound object 214 stored in cell B3 216
and a second compound object 218 stored in cell B4 220. As
illustrated in this example, the first compound object 214 and
second compound object 218 each store a record of a car having
multiple values. In this example, the first compound object 214
stores four values in attribute-value pairs: (1) Car Make: BMW; (2)
Car Model: Z4; (3) Price: $49,700; and (4) Image: [Image of car].
The second compound object 218 stores six values in attribute-value
pairs: (1) Car Make: Toyota; (2) Car Model: Camry; (3) Year: 2016;
(4) Price: $23,070; (5) Image: [Image of car]; and (6) Color: Blue.
As described herein, the cell view of the cell in which the
compound object is stored may not always display each value stored
in the compound object. In the example illustrated, both the first
compound object 214 and the second compound object 218 only
display, in the cell view, values and do not display the associated
attributes. In particular, the first compound object 214 only
displays, in the cell view, four values (e.g., "BMW," "Z4,"
"$49,700," and an image of the car) and no attributes. The second
compound object 218 only displays, in the cell view, five values
(e.g., "Toyota," "Camry," "2016," "$23,070," and an image of the
car) and no attributes. Still further, as illustrated the example
card view 222, the second compound object 218 displays an
additional attribute-value pair (e.g., the attribute "Color" and
associated value "Blue") that is not displayed in the cell view. In
some embodiments, the card view is an adjustable display and
therefore may be resized to display more or fewer values.
As illustrated in this example, the first compound object 214 and
second compound object 218 each store a record of a car having
multiple values. Aspects of the present disclosure provide the
ability to import data and store data as a new compound object or
within an existing compound object. In an example, as illustrated
with reference to FIG. 1, the client computing device (e.g., client
computing device 102A or 102B) on which a spreadsheet application
is executed may be connected to one or more third party databases
(e.g., third party database 108A or 108B) and one or more third
party services that store and provide data (e.g., one or more
values as well as header information, attributes, etc.). Such third
party data can be imported by the client computing device and
stored in a spreadsheet as a new compound object or within an
existing compound object. Further aspects of the present disclosure
provide the ability to import data from a local database. In
particular, the client computing device may be additionally or
alternatively connected to one or more local databases (e.g., local
database 104A and 104B) that store data (e.g., one or more values
as well as header information, attributes, etc.). Such local data
can be imported by the client computing device and stored in a
spreadsheet as a new compound object or within an existing compound
object. Although examples described herein may refer to importing
data from third party databases, it is understood that such data
may similarly be imported and one or more local databases. Still
further, although the term database is used, it is understood that
a service may also be used with or without the implementation of a
database.
Aspects of the present disclosure further provide for the import
and storage of data within an existing compound object. In such an
example, a user may select one or more fields and corresponding
data to be added to an existing compound object from a single
service or multiple services. Accordingly, the user may add a new
field entitled "customer reviews" to the record of the first
compound object 214 illustrated in FIG. 2. This new field may be
structured as an array. Accordingly, using an API that connects to
a service, the spreadsheet application may call a website that will
return an array of reviews for that particular vehicle and store
that array of review values within the created field of the first
compound object 214.
Furthermore, compound objects that are enriched by local or third
party services and databases may include connection and source
information. One example might be the inclusion of a field
documenting the connection, a field documenting the query, and
another field detailing the list of attributes to convey.
Accordingly, as will be described in detail herein, the present
spreadsheet disclosure provides a compound object that can store
additional source information. The corresponding card and cell
views may, in some embodiments, show a subset of fields, which may
be the usable data that the user wants to see.
Aspects of the present disclosure further provide local or third
party services returning values from machine learning. In an
example, a service may detect a user's patterns of activity, data
insights, data visualizations into one or more compound
objects.
Aspects of the present disclosure further provide the automatic
detection of known values entered into a cell and the automatic
suggestion of one or more third party services, databases, or local
databases from which data can be imported as a (or within an
existing) compound object. In particular, aspects of the present
disclosure provide the automatic detection of known values that can
be enriched by information from one or more third party services,
databases, or local databases. In some embodiments, in response to
receiving an entry of a value, the spreadsheet application may
automatically detect the value as a known value (e.g., a known
value that may have associated therewith, additional information
that can be imported by a third party service, database, or local
database) and suggest one or more third party services, databases,
or local databases from which to import additional values. There
are many ways in which the spreadsheet application can detect or
determine known values. In an example, the spreadsheet application
may analyze the data stored in the spreadsheet application,
including column or row headers, value stored elsewhere in the
spreadsheet, etc., to identify values that may be enriched by
information provided by a third party service, database, or local
database. Additionally or alternatively, the spreadsheet
application may identify a pattern of values stored in the
spreadsheet to detect known values. For example, the spreadsheet
application may identify a known value by identifying the other
values or compound objects stored within the same column or row.
More particularly, the spreadsheet application may identify one or
more values or compound objects stored in the same column or row,
each having the same type as the entered value. Additionally or
alternatively, the spreadsheet application may identify one or more
compound objects stored in the same column or row that store
information that was imported by a third party service, database,
or local database. Additionally or alternatively, the spreadsheet
application may perform string pattern matching to identify a known
value. Accordingly, as the user enters in a value, a user interface
may be provided as the entered input is matched to a known value.
As an example, as the value "kilograms" (including all forms of
kilograms such as "kg" or "k") is entered into a cell or to a
compound object, the spreadsheet application may recognize the
partially provided value (e.g., "kilog") and provide a user
interface that prompts the user to accept the fully matched entry
(e.g., "kilograms"), or it may automatically accept it.
Furthermore, the spreadsheet application may analyze surrounding
cells and column or row header cells to infer context about an
entered value to recognize that value using an external source and
to even obtain additional information from one or more sources. For
example, the spreadsheet application may scan the values entered in
a spreadsheet, such as values stored in cells or header values to
identify context about the data stored therein. Furthermore, the
disclosed spreadsheet application may also suggest patterns to
match against based on the user's past use of typing patterns,
objects previously used, rich values previously used, etc. In other
words, the spreadsheet application may apply machine learning
techniques to provide suggestions. In an example, if a user has
historically written many emails, documents, spreadsheets, etc.
about a particular unit compound object, the spreadsheet
application may suggest those units of compound objects even if
there may be little or no information in the document pertaining
thereto. Thus, a user's past use may increase the probability that
the spreadsheet application provides suggestions. In other
embodiments, the spreadsheet application may also provide
suggestions based on other, related users' typing patterns. For
example, the spreadsheet application may suggest patterns to match
against based on typing patterns, objects previously used, and rich
values previously used of another user in the user's work network,
family network, friend network, team network, or any other related
network. Accordingly, as the user types a value, or in response to
cell commit, the spreadsheet application can call an API to a
search engine, service, or any service that provides machine
learning to obtain high confidence search results for that value in
the search engine's internal store. In some examples, search
engines or services store well-known entity values in an internal
store. If, based on a contextual understanding of the values stored
in the spreadsheet, one or more high confidence search results are
detected, the spreadsheet application can provide a user interface
showing those results and may also provide the option to import
related data to the spreadsheet as a compound object or within an
existing object.
In yet another aspect, the spreadsheet application may use known
values stored in one or more compound objects to automatically
obtain additional information from a third party service, database,
or local database and augment that compound object with the
obtained information. In an example, one or more compound objects
storing values associated with a known car entity may be stored in
cells of a column under the header value "car." The known car
entity may have numerous fields such as, for example, make, model,
year, color, safety rating, price, tire, etc. The one or more
compound objects may include one or more of these fields. In an
example, the one or more compound objects might only store the
values associated with the fields make, model and year.
Accordingly, if, for example, the user types, as the next column
header, a value that matches a known field of the known car entity,
then the values within that next column may automatically be
populated with relevant information from a data source. Even more,
the populated values may be automatically added to each compound
object. Continuing the example from above, if the user types "tire"
in the column header next to "car," wherein the value "tire" is a
known field of the car entity in the internal store, the
spreadsheet application can automatically populate the cells within
that column with the one or more values associated with `tire` for
each car, wherein the one or more values are obtained from the data
source. Moreover, the "tire" value may be added, within a new
field, to one or more of the car compound objects. Additionally,
each cell within the next column displaying the populated tire
values may have a formula referring to the actual value stored in
the compound object, such as, for example, "=A2.Tire." In this
example, "A2.tire" refers to value associated with the tire
attribute (or header) of the compound object stored in cell A2.
Accordingly, the spreadsheet application can display the related
data in the spreadsheet and it can also augment a compound object
with enriched data.
In addition to auto detection, known values may additionally or
alternatively be identified through a user interface. For example,
the user can, from a user interface for a particular cell, request
the spreadsheet application to search for a known entity from a
third party service, database, or local database that matches the
entered value. Alternatively or additionally, the user may define a
formula that maps to a compound object. In an example, the formula
"=Bing("Obama")" may return a compound object for the match to the
search term "Obama" using the Bing search engine, which returns,
for example, values relating to the president.
The spreadsheet application can additionally or alternatively
identify known values based on, for example, matching
patterns/strings, analyzing row and column headers, identifying the
presence of other entities the user may have previously accepted
(e.g., if there is already a "car" compound object somewhere in the
spreadsheet, and the user types "Honda," it is likely a car).
Furthermore, as the user types one or more new header values, for
example, the spreadsheet application can analyze those values to
determine if those values correspond to fields in one of the
compound objects. Additionally or alternatively, the spreadsheet
application can identify if the value corresponds to a value about
which a service may have information.
The spreadsheet application may also leverage a certain data type
that is associated with a value (e.g., a rich data type) or that is
applied to a cell that does not have a value stored therein.
Accordingly, for a person data type applied to a cell, the
spreadsheet application can be more confident in trying to match to
online services, for example, that can return people objects.
Referring back to FIG. 2, as illustrated in this example, the
single value "Honda Civic" is provided in cell B5 224, within the
same column (e.g., column B) of the first compound object 214
(e.g., stored in cell B3) and the second compound object 218 (e.g.,
stored in cell B4). The value "Honda Civic" entered in cell B5 224
is the name of a car while the first compound object 214 and second
compound object 218 each store a record of a car having multiple
values. The first compound object 214 or the second compound object
218 may have been imported from a third party service, database, or
local database. Alternatively, the first compound object 214 or the
second compound object 218 may have been entered (e.g., typed) and
therefore not imported. Based on an any of the methods described
herein, the spreadsheet application may identify the value "Honda
Civic" as being a known value (see above, for example, by analyzing
surrounding cells and header values to identify it as an entity
within a search engine store) that may be enriched with further
information provided by a third party service, database, or local
database. Accordingly, imported data may be stored in the
spreadsheet as a compound object, or in other embodiments, it may
be stored in an existing compound object. In other embodiments, one
or more known values may be imported and stored in one or more
cells and not as a compound object. Users may have the ability to
import values by selecting desired fields, as will be described in
further detail with reference to FIG. 3. In this example, based on
a determination that "Honda Civic" is a known entity of a service
such as, for example, a Bing search engine data store, the user may
select one or more fields that correspond to data to import into
the spreadsheet (e.g., make, model, year, price, color options,
safety rating, etc.).
Aspects of the present disclosure further provide the ability to
search for or select from a pre-populated list of one or more third
party services, databases, or local databases from which data can
be imported. In some embodiments, a user interface may provide the
capability to search for whether an entered value can be enriched
with information by a third party service, database, or local
database. In addition to the methods described herein, in another
example there may be a user interface that provides a list of
connections to data, or results from different data sources, and
allows a user to select a data source. In other examples, if the
spreadsheet already has an existing query or connection to a data
source, the spreadsheet application may suggest that data source
for other entries. Additionally, if a user has connected to a data
source in the past to obtain data to be stored as a compound object
or imported to an existing compound object, the spreadsheet
application may suggest it to the user, for example, at a later
time. Aspects of the present disclosure further extend to providing
suggestions based on data sources that related users (e.g., family,
colleagues, friends, related networks) have used.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example field selection user interface in
which fields can be selected and corresponding values stored in a
compound object.
In some embodiments, an owner of the third party service, database,
or local database may provide a field selection user interface 302
from which a user may select one or more fields and corresponding
values to import and store as a compound object or within an
existing compound object. In some embodiments, the field selection
user interface 302 may be an add-in or it may be a hosted
web-browser type user interface that is provided by the third party
database 108. In other embodiments, the spreadsheet application
provides the user interface. Users can accordingly view all the
fields and select the desired fields and corresponding values. A
user may define a view as a default view for that user, which may
be used by other users as well.
The one or more fields and corresponding values provided in the
field selection user interface 302 are stored in and provided by
the a third party service, database, or local database. The field
selection user interface provides a list of fields related to a
particular known entity of the third party database or local
database. In some embodiments, the field selection user interface
may return a set of top fields and associated values, however in
other embodiments all fields and associated values are displayed.
Yet in other embodiments, the service or spreadsheet application
may have the ability to select and return a default set of fields
and values. In yet other embodiments, based on a user's personal
settings or previously used views, the service or spreadsheet
application may return a similar set of fields and values.
Additionally, the service spreadsheet application may provide a set
of fields and values based on other user's (e.g., family,
colleagues, friends, etc.) views. Based on a selection of one or
more fields from the field selection user interface 302, the
selected fields and corresponding values are imported to the
spreadsheet and stored in the spreadsheet as a compound object or
within an existing compound object. Accordingly, the selected
fields and corresponding values may be stored as a compound object
in a single cell, wherein each value is individually referenceable.
In other embodiments, the spreadsheet application may cache the
fields and corresponding values returned from the service and save
them in the file for offline viewing and interaction. In some
embodiments, one or more compound objects may store the values
about the connection and fields, and at runtime, the spreadsheet
application may obtain the associated values from the database
using the connection information.
As described in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, in response to
receiving an entry of "Honda Civic," (e.g., in cell B5 224 or even
in an existing compound object) a third party service (e.g., Bing),
database, or local database may be selected to enrich the entry
with additional information. In some embodiments, a field selection
user interface (e.g., field selection user interface 302) is
provided by the selected third party service, database, or local
database. In this example, the field selection user interface 302
provides multiple fields (e.g., "Model," "Image," "Price," "Year,"
"Manufacturer," "MPG," and "Safety Rating") and corresponding
values (e.g., "Honda Civic," "Honda.png," "USD $18,190," "2016,"
"Honda," "29/38," and "4 Stars) that may be selected to be imported
into the spreadsheet and stored in a compound object. As described
herein, the field selection user interface provides a list of
fields related to a particular known entity of the third party
service, database, or local database. As noted in this example, the
fields and corresponding values presented in the field selection
user interface 302 are provided by the Bing search engine, which is
owned and operated by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.
Although this example illustrates the Bing search engine as the
third party service from which additional information provided,
aspects of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited to
this third party service. In other embodiments, the additional
information may be provided by another third party service. For
example, the Honda Motor Company itself may provide such additional
information in a field selection user interface.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, several fields (e.g., "Model," "Image,"
"Price," and "Year") and corresponding values (e.g., "Honda Civic,"
"Honda.png," "USD $18,190," and "2016") displayed in the field
selection user interface 302 have been selected. Accordingly, based
on a selection of the "OK" button, for example, those fields and
associated values may be imported into the spreadsheet and stored
therein as a compound object. An example compound object storing
such selected information is illustrated and described with
reference to FIG. 4. Users may also have the ability to order
fields to further personalize cell and card views. Additionally, in
some embodiments, nested objects may be returned. For example, for
a stock compound object, a user could decide which sub-fields of
the stock object the user would like to return. These could come
back as a nested object. Or they could show up as top-level fields
on the parent object for display/interaction purposes in the
workbook.
FIG. 4 illustrates a spreadsheet storing, in a compound object,
information provided by a third party.
As illustrated, the compound object 402 stored in cell B5 224 now
stores a compound object having multiple values relating to a car
and organized according to a record data structure. In this
example, the compound object 402 has multiple attributes (e.g.,
"Model," "Image," "Price," and "Year") and associated values (e.g.,
"Honda Civic," "Honda.png," "USD $18,190," and "2016"). As
illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 3, these
attributes and associated values were selected from an field
selection user interface (e.g., field selection user interface
302). Based on the selection of attributes from the field selection
user interface, the corresponding values were imported and stored
in the spreadsheet as compound object 402, wherein each value is
individually referenceable.
In this example, the compound object 402 also fully participates as
a compound object in the spreadsheet. For example, the compound
object 402 may be displayed in a card view (e.g., card view 404).
In this example, the card view 404 of compound object 402 includes
a header that displays the name of the compound object (e.g.,
"Car"), the data structure by which the values are organized (e.g.,
"Record"), and the cell in which the compound object is stored
(e.g., cell "B5"). The card view 404 further includes each value
(e.g., "Honda Civic," "Honda.png," "USD $18,190," and "2016") and
associated attribute (e.g., "Model," "Image," "Price," and "Year")
organized in an attribute-value pair table. In some embodiments,
the compound object may be editable from the corresponding card
view.
Alternatively or additionally, values imported from a third party
service, database, or local database may be stored in a compound
object with additional information provided by the user. In the
example illustrated in FIG. 4, the compound object 402 could be
further modified with user-provided data. For example, the user may
add a "My Rating" field wherein the corresponding value may be the
user's personal notes about the particular vehicle. Accordingly,
the combination of service enhanced data and personal data allows
users to create custom solutions.
The compound object 402 may also be represented as a formula (e.g.,
formula 406) displayed in the formula bar (e.g., formula bar 408).
In this example, the compound object 402 is represented by formula
406 (e.g., "=Car("Model": Honda Civic, "Image": Honda.png, "Price":
$18,190, "Year": 2016)"). In some embodiments, the compound object
may be editable from the corresponding formula. Accordingly, it is
understood that the compound object including values and attributes
imported from a third party service, database, or local database
may fully participate as a compound object in the spreadsheet.
In other embodiments, the formula may define the connection to the
third party service, database, or local database. In such an
example, the formula may be represented as, for example,
"=Bing("Honda Civic", {Model, image, price, year})." Another
formula could then refer to this cell as "=B5.model." The array
parameter in the =Bing( ) function could be used to specify the
fields the user has set. In another embodiment, the formula
"=Bing("Honda Civic")" could be used, wherein the fields do not
surface in the formula or cell views, but are instead stored in
metadata.
Alternatively or additionally, the corresponding formula may just
indicate source information, an icon or image indicating the
compound object includes imported information, or other such
identifying information instead of a formula definition of the
values.
Furthermore, the values imported from the third party service,
database, or local database may be updated as the information
stored in the underlying database changes. In some embodiments,
such values stored in the compound object may be updated based on a
request made by the user to the third party service, database, or
local database. In other embodiments, the third party service,
database, or local database may automatically update the one or
more values stored in a compound object. Yet in other embodiments,
the third party service, database, or local database may send a
message or alert to the spreadsheet application indicating that the
information it had previously provided has since changed.
FIG. 5 illustrates a method for importing one or more values from a
third party service, database, or local database and storing those
values as a compound object in a spreadsheet.
The method 500 beings at a start operation. Thereafter, the method
flows to the receive entry operation 502. In the receive entry
operation 502, for example, the spreadsheet application receives an
entry in a cell. For example, the spreadsheet application may
receive a string or numerical value in a cell. In other
embodiments, the spreadsheet application may receive an image,
graph, or chart. Alternatively or additionally, the spreadsheet
application may receive, as an entry, a compound object that
already exists, a map, a reference to a cell or field that has a
connection (e.g., if a user begins constructing a compound object
and a value for one of its fields references some other cell or
compound object in the spreadsheet that is connected to a data
source), or a special formula that indicates a compound object is
requested from a service. In other embodiments, the user may use a
user interface create or insert a compound object. The entry may be
a standalone entry within that cell or it may be within an existing
compound object stored in that cell.
In the enriched information decision operation 504, the spreadsheet
application determines whether the entry received in the receive
entry operation 502 can be enriched by information provided from a
third party service, database, or local database. In some examples,
this may be done by the automatic detection of known values that
can be enriched by information from a third party service,
database, or local database. Yet in other embodiments, a user may
select, from a user interface, a third party service, database, or
local database from which to import additional information. If
there are no third party services, databases, or local databases
that can enrich the entry, or alternatively, if the user selects an
option not to enrich the entry (e.g., `NO` decision), the method
500 ends. If, however, a third party service, database, or local
database is selected (e.g., `YES` decision), the method 500
proceeds to the display field selection user interface operation
506.
In the display field selection user interface operation 506, a
field selection user interface is displayed. An example field
selection user interface is illustrated and described with
reference to FIG. 3 (e.g., field selection user interface 302). In
an example, based on a selection of a third party service,
database, or local database, a corresponding field selection user
interface may be displayed. In some embodiments, the field
selection user interface may be provided by the third party
service, database, or local database. In other embodiments, the
field and value information is provided by the spreadsheet
application. In an example, the field selection user interface
(e.g., field selection user interface 302) may display one or more
fields and associated values that may be selected to be imported
into the spreadsheet and stored therein as a new compound object or
within an existing compound object. In some embodiments, this step
is optional in the example in which default fields and
corresponding values are imported.
In the receive selection of fields operation 508, a selection, at
the field selection user interface, of one or more fields is
received. In some embodiments, one or more fields are received,
wherein the fields are each associated with at least one
corresponding value. However, in other embodiments, one or more
values are received, which may or may not be associated with a
field.
In the receive selected fields operation 510, the one or more
fields and corresponding values selected from the field selection
user interface in operation 508 are received. In particular, the
fields and values may be imported from the third party service,
database, or local database and stored in the spreadsheet as a new
compound object or within an existing compound object. In other
embodiments, the fields and values may be linked to the storage
location in which the actual information is stored and therefore
not imported into the spreadsheet itself.
In the create compound object operation 512, based on the fields
and values received in operation 510, the spreadsheet application
may organize and store the fields and values in a compound object.
In some embodiments, the data structure of the compound object is
selected by the user, and in other embodiments a default structure
is used. Additionally, the create compound object operation 512 may
create a cell view and a card view of the generated compound
object, as illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 2 and
FIG. 4. Still further, the create compound object operation 512 may
additionally construct a formula definition of the generated
compound object.
As should be appreciated, operations 502-512 are described for
purposes of illustrating the present methods and systems and are
not intended to limit the disclosure to a particular sequence of
steps, e.g., steps may be performed in differing order, additional
steps may be performed, and disclosed steps may be excluded without
departing from the present disclosure.
FIGS. 6-9 and the associated descriptions provide a discussion of a
variety of operating environments in which aspects of the
disclosure may be practiced. However, the devices and systems
illustrated and discussed with respect to FIGS. 6-9 are for
purposes of example and illustration and are not limiting of a vast
number of computing device configurations that may be utilized for
practicing aspects of the disclosure, as described herein.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating physical components (e.g.,
hardware) of a computing device 600 with which aspects of the
disclosure may be practiced. The computing device components
described below may have computer executable instructions for
implementing a spreadsheet application 620 on a computing device
(e.g., server computing device 108 and/or client computing device
104), including computer executable instructions for spreadsheet
application 620 that can be executed to implement the methods
disclosed herein. In a basic configuration, the computing device
600 may include at least one processing unit 602 and a system
memory 604. Depending on the configuration and type of computing
device, the system memory 604 may comprise, but is not limited to,
volatile storage (e.g., random access memory), non-volatile storage
(e.g., read-only memory), flash memory, or any combination of such
memories. The system memory 604 may include an operating system 605
and one or more program modules 606 suitable for running
spreadsheet application 620.
The operating system 605, for example, may be suitable for
controlling the operation of the computing device 600. Furthermore,
embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with
a graphics library, other operating systems, or any other
application program and is not limited to any particular
application or system. This basic configuration is illustrated in
FIG. 6 by those components within a dashed line 608. The computing
device 600 may have additional features or functionality. For
example, the computing device 600 may also include additional data
storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for
example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional
storage is illustrated in FIG. 6 by a removable storage device 609
and a non-removable storage device 610. As stated above, a number
of program modules and data files may be stored in the system
memory 604. While executing on the processing unit 602, the program
modules 606 (e.g., spreadsheet application 620) may perform
processes including, but not limited to, the aspects, as described
herein.
Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in an
electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements,
packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a
circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing
electronic elements or microprocessors. For example, embodiments of
the disclosure may be practiced via a system-on-a-chip (SOC) where
each or many of the components illustrated in FIG. 6 may be
integrated onto a single integrated circuit. Such an SOC device may
include one or more processing units, graphics units,
communications units, system virtualization units and various
application functionality all of which are integrated (or "burned")
onto the chip substrate as a single integrated circuit. When
operating via an SOC, the functionality, described herein, with
respect to the capability of client to switch protocols may be
operated via application-specific logic integrated with other
components of the computing device 600 on the single integrated
circuit (chip). Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced
using other technologies capable of performing logical operations
such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited
to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In
addition, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced within a
general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.
The computing device 600 may also have one or more input device(s)
612 such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a sound or voice input
device, a touch or swipe input device, etc. The output device(s)
614 such as a display, speakers, a printer, etc. may also be
included. The aforementioned devices are examples and others may be
used. The computing device 600 may include one or more
communication connections 616 allowing communications with other
computing devices 650. Examples of suitable communication
connections 616 include, but are not limited to, radio frequency
(RF) transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver circuitry; universal
serial bus (USB), parallel, and/or serial ports.
The term computer readable media as used herein may include
computer storage media. Computer storage media may include volatile
and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in
any method or technology for storage of information, such as
computer readable instructions, data structures, or program
modules. The system memory 604, the removable storage device 609,
and the non-removable storage device 610 are all computer storage
media examples (e.g., memory storage). Computer storage media may
include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM),
flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile
disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic
tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or
any other article of manufacture which can be used to store
information and which can be accessed by the computing device 600.
Any such computer storage media may be part of the computing device
600. Computer storage media does not include a carrier wave or
other propagated or modulated data signal.
Communication media may be embodied by computer readable
instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a
modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport
mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term
"modulated data signal" may describe a signal that has one or more
characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,
communication media may include wired media such as a wired network
or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic,
radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media.
FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B illustrate a mobile computing device 700, for
example, a mobile telephone, a smart phone, wearable computer (such
as a smart watch), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and the
like, with which embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced. In
some aspects, the client may be a mobile computing device. With
reference to FIG. 7A, one aspect of a mobile computing device 700
for implementing the aspects is illustrated. In a basic
configuration, the mobile computing device 700 is a handheld
computer having both input elements and output elements. The mobile
computing device 700 typically includes a display 705 and one or
more input buttons 710 that allow the user to enter information
into the mobile computing device 700. The display 705 of the mobile
computing device 700 may also function as an input device (e.g., a
touch screen display). If included, an optional side input element
715 allows further user input. The side input element 715 may be a
rotary switch, a button, or any other type of manual input element.
In alternative aspects, mobile computing device 700 may incorporate
more or less input elements. For example, the display 705 may not
be a touch screen in some embodiments. In yet another alternative
embodiment, the mobile computing device 700 is a portable phone
system, such as a cellular phone. The mobile computing device 700
may also include an optional keypad 735. Optional keypad 735 may be
a physical keypad or a "soft" keypad generated on the touch screen
display. In various embodiments, the output elements include the
display 705 for showing a graphical user interface (GUI), a visual
indicator 720 (e.g., a light emitting diode), and/or an audio
transducer 725 (e.g., a speaker). In some aspects, the mobile
computing device 700 incorporates a vibration transducer for
providing the user with tactile feedback. In yet another aspect,
the mobile computing device 700 incorporates input and/or output
ports, such as an audio input (e.g., a microphone jack), an audio
output (e.g., a headphone jack), and a video output (e.g., a HDMI
port) for sending signals to or receiving signals from an external
device.
FIG. 7B is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of one
aspect of a mobile computing device. That is, the mobile computing
device 700 can incorporate a system (e.g., an architecture) 702 to
implement some aspects. In one embodiment, the system 702 is
implemented as a "smart phone" capable of running one or more
applications (e.g., browser, e-mail, calendaring, contact managers,
messaging clients, games, and media clients/players). In some
aspects, the system 702 is integrated as a computing device, such
as an integrated personal digital assistant (PDA) and wireless
phone.
One or more application programs 766 may be loaded into the memory
762 and run on or in association with the operating system 764.
Examples of the application programs include phone dialer programs,
e-mail programs, personal information management (PIM) programs,
word processing programs, spreadsheet programs, Internet browser
programs, messaging programs, and so forth. The system 702 also
includes a non-volatile storage area 768 within the memory 762. The
non-volatile storage area 768 may be used to store persistent
information that should not be lost if the system 702 is powered
down. The application programs 766 may use and store information in
the non-volatile storage area 768, such as email or other messages
used by an email application, and the like. A synchronization
application (not shown) also resides on the system 702 and is
programmed to interact with a corresponding synchronization
application resident on a host computer to keep the information
stored in the non-volatile storage area 768 synchronized with
corresponding information stored at the host computer. As should be
appreciated, other applications may be loaded into the memory 762
and run on the mobile computing device 700, including the
instructions for associating one or more images with one or more
cells of a spreadsheet as described herein (e.g., attribute
component, associate component, array component, hybrid component,
operation component, and/or UX component, etc.).
The system 702 has a power supply 770, which may be implemented as
one or more batteries. The power supply 770 may further include an
external power source, such as an AC adapter or a powered docking
cradle that supplements or recharges the batteries. The system 702
may also include a radio interface layer 772 that performs the
function of transmitting and receiving radio frequency
communications. The radio interface layer 772 facilitates wireless
connectivity between the system 702 and the "outside world," via a
communications carrier or service provider. Transmissions to and
from the radio interface layer 772 are conducted under control of
the operating system 764. In other words, communications received
by the radio interface layer 772 may be disseminated to the
application programs 766 via the operating system 764, and vice
versa.
The visual indicator 720 may be used to provide visual
notifications, and/or an audio interface 774 may be used for
producing audible notifications via an audio transducer 725 (e.g.,
audio transducer 725 illustrated in FIG. 7A). In the illustrated
embodiment, the visual indicator 720 is a light emitting diode
(LED) and the audio transducer 725 may be a speaker. These devices
may be directly coupled to the power supply 770 so that when
activated, they remain on for a duration dictated by the
notification mechanism even though the processor 760 and other
components might shut down for conserving battery power. The LED
may be programmed to remain on indefinitely until the user takes
action to indicate the powered-on status of the device. The audio
interface 774 is used to provide audible signals to and receive
audible signals from the user. For example, in addition to being
coupled to the audio transducer 725, the audio interface 774 may
also be coupled to a microphone to receive audible input, such as
to facilitate a telephone conversation. In accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure, the microphone may also
serve as an audio sensor to facilitate control of notifications, as
will be described below. The system 702 may further include a video
interface 776 that enables an operation of peripheral device 730
(e.g., on-board camera) to record still images, video stream, and
the like.
A mobile computing device 700 implementing the system 702 may have
additional features or functionality. For example, the mobile
computing device 700 may also include additional data storage
devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, magnetic disks,
optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in
FIG. 7B by the non-volatile storage area 768.
Data/information generated or captured by the mobile computing
device 700 and stored via the system 702 may be stored locally on
the mobile computing device 700, as described above, or the data
may be stored on any number of storage media that may be accessed
by the device via the radio interface layer 772 or via a wired
connection between the mobile computing device 700 and a separate
computing device associated with the mobile computing device 700,
for example, a server computer in a distributed computing network,
such as the Internet. As should be appreciated such
data/information may be accessed via the mobile computing device
700 via the radio interface layer 772 or via a distributed
computing network. Similarly, such data/information may be readily
transferred between computing devices for storage and use according
to well-known data/information transfer and storage means,
including electronic mail and collaborative data/information
sharing systems.
As should be appreciated, FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are described for
purposes of illustrating the present methods and systems and is not
intended to limit the disclosure to a particular sequence of steps
or a particular combination of hardware or software components.
FIG. 8 illustrates one aspect of the architecture of a system for
processing data received at a computing system from a remote
source, such as a general computing device 804 (e.g., personal
computer), tablet computing device 806, or mobile computing device
808, as described above. Content displayed at server device 802 may
be stored in different communication channels or other storage
types. For example, various documents may be stored using a
directory service 822, a web portal 824, a mailbox service 826, an
instant messaging store 828, or a social networking service 830.
The spreadsheet application 821 may be employed by a client that
communicates with server device 802, and/or the spreadsheet
application 820 may be employed by server device 802. The server
device 802 may provide data to and from a client computing device
such as a general computing device 804, a tablet computing device
806 and/or a mobile computing device 808 (e.g., a smart phone)
through a network 815. By way of example, the computer system
described above may be embodied in a general computing device 804
(e.g., personal computer), a tablet computing device 806 and/or a
mobile computing device 808 (e.g., a smart phone). Any of these
embodiments of the computing devices may obtain content from the
store 816, in addition to receiving graphical data useable to
either be pre-processed at a graphic-originating system or
post-processed at a receiving computing system.
As should be appreciated, FIG. 8 is described for purposes of
illustrating the present methods and systems and is not intended to
limit the disclosure to a particular sequence of steps or a
particular combination of hardware or software components.
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary tablet computing device 900 that
may execute one or more aspects disclosed herein. In addition, the
aspects and functionalities described herein may operate over
distributed systems (e.g., cloud-based computing systems), where
application functionality, memory, data storage and retrieval and
various processing functions may be operated remotely from each
other over a distributed computing network, such as the Internet or
an intranet. User interfaces and information of various types may
be displayed via on-board computing device displays or via remote
display units associated with one or more computing devices. For
example user interfaces and information of various types may be
displayed and interacted with on a wall surface onto which user
interfaces and information of various types are projected.
Interaction with the multitude of computing systems with which
embodiments of the invention may be practiced include, keystroke
entry, touch screen entry, voice or other audio entry, gesture
entry where an associated computing device is equipped with
detection (e.g., camera) functionality for capturing and
interpreting user gestures for controlling the functionality of the
computing device, and the like.
As should be appreciated, FIG. 9 is described for purposes of
illustrating the present methods and systems and is not intended to
limit the disclosure to a particular sequence of steps or a
particular combination of hardware or software components.
Aspects of the present disclosure, for example, are described above
with reference to block diagrams or operational illustrations of
methods, systems, and computer program products according to
aspects of the disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks
may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example,
two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed
substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed
in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts
involved.
The description and illustration of one or more aspects provided in
this application are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of
the disclosure as claimed in any way. The aspects, examples, and
details provided in this application are considered sufficient to
convey possession and enable others to make and use the claimed
disclosure. The claimed disclosure should not be construed as being
limited to any aspect, example, or detail provided in this
application. Regardless of whether shown and described in
combination or separately, the various features (both structural
and methodological) are intended to be selectively included or
omitted to produce an embodiment with a particular set of features.
Having been provided with the description and illustration of the
present disclosure, one skilled in the art may envision variations,
modifications, and alternate aspects falling within the spirit of
the broader aspects of the general inventive concept embodied in
this application that do not depart from the broader scope of the
claimed disclosure.
* * * * *
References